Lady in Red
by Lover496
Summary: She looked so beautiful in her red jumpsuit, even if she was angry about Collin. AU version of S6E13 "The yummy mummy" Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They all belong to "The Nanny".
1. I guess you were right

Never had he been more nervous in his life. He knew that she had just had a date with Collin. If the date went well, he had no idea how he was supposed to win her over. He knew that Collin was better educated, richer, younger, more handsome and better fitting for Ms. Babcock in pretty much every other way imaginable. None the less, Niles knew that he couldn't just stand by and watch her getting involved with Collin.

When she came, however, she was not in the best mood, to say the least. "Collin just dumped me and I have an anonymous phone call to make tot he IRS" she explained her mood. Despite her anger Niles' heart started beating faster. Collin had dumped her? _What an idiot_, he thought, _but his loss is my gain._ But when the moment came he found he had lost his nerves. He found he was unable to tell her the truth. Instead, he insulted her. Just as always.

He had, however, not expected her observant eyes. It took her two looks and no more than five seconds to figure out he was here for a complete different reason. "Niles has a crush on someone" she teased. "Niles and his girlfriend, sittin' in a tree, D-U-S-T-I-N-G" she sing-sang grinning.

He knew she was teasing him. He knew this was supposed to make him feel uncomfortable and ashamed of his crush. Funnily enough, it did neither of these things. What it did do however, was bringing back his courage. Before Ms. Babcock could think of the next joke to set him up she found herself in a situation she had never imagined.

Niles tossed the flowers he had held aside on the small table in the entrance hall and pulled her into a fierce kiss. She was shocked at first, but after a few moments she gave into it. As she pulled her arms around him, she could feel her heart beating faster. Every coherent thought she might have had turned into nothing but the desire to hold him closer.

He was the one to break the kiss, looking into her eyes with uncertainty. He gulped. _She is so beautiful._ "Well" he cleared his throat "I guess you were right."


	2. Some lucky interruption

She stared blankly at him and blinked a few times, unable to process what the hell had just happened. She didn't know what to do or say next. Luckily for her, she didn't have to decide, as Lynn Redgrave just entered the room. Hearing footsteps, C.C. turned around to see her coming straight from the office, reading through what looked like some kind of magazine. "Ms. Redgrave" she greeted, glad for the distraction, "Hi, I'm C.C. Babcock, Maxwell's business partner. Has he already told you about our new play?" The two women shook hands. "Yes, he did. In fact, I'm just reading through the script to make up my mind about it." "Oh, I'm sure you'll like it. Trust me, the leading role was practically designed for you to play it." "We'll see…"

Noticing that their hopefully soon-to-be-main-actress didn't want to talk anymore but still wanting to avoid the conversation with Niles, C.C. quickly disappeared into the office. Niles on the other hand, who was still standing next to the stairs, the flowers now again in his hands, wondered what had just happened.


	3. Unfocused

"C.C.?! C.C.!" Maxwell had to snap his fingers three times before she finally reacted. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" she said, trying her best to push aside the thoughts about the kiss with Niles and what it meant. "C.C., what is wrong with you today? You can't seem to focus on anything." By Maxwell's look she knew it wasn't a rethorical question and he actually waited for an explaination. "It's nothing." Maxwell gave her a look of disbelieve. She sighed. "Okay, if you _have_ to know it … Collin broke up with me this morning." She hadn't thought of it much since she had arrived at the Sheffield's home but she would go to hell before telling Max about the kiss with Niles.

"Oh, you poor thing, why didn't you say anything? Maybe you should take the rest of the day off…" "It's really not that bad, Maxwell, I don't think that will be necessary." "No, no, no, no. I insist. You can barely focus. Why don't you go to a spa and take a little time to relax. Maybe it'll take your mind off him." "Maxwell –" "No, C.C., I insist." She sighed. "Fine. I'll take the rest of the day off." She packed her things and left the office as quiet and quick as possible, not wanting anyone to bump into her anymore today.


	4. Lost in thoughts

Sadly, she did not have such luck. As she opened the door tot he living room he stood there, vacuum-cleaning the floor. He hadn't heard her opening the door, but she knew there was no chance she'd get to the door without him noticing. She didn't quite know what to do, so she just stood there, watching him clean and slowly getting lost in her thoughts again.

_He's really handsome. Like, a lot. And he looks so sexy when he's cleaning. How is that even possible? Noone should look sexy when cleaning. And _I_ surely should be the last one to think so. I'm a Babcock, for heavens sake! No domestics. That's the only rule. Why does this have to be so hard? Couldn't he have, like, _any_ other job? But then again, I would probably have never met him. Which would, actually, make things easier. Collin would not have broken up with me. That's another thing. Was breaking up with Collin the only reason he finally made a move? No, wait, he didn't know that before I got here. Which means he wanted to talk to me anyway. Not that he said much. Just that he has a crush on me. Well, more or less. Oh, that kiss… _She felt her heart begin to race at the memory. _That kiss… That passion… His scent… His taste… _She closed her eyes and absently stroke her fingers over her lips, completely forgetting that she was wearing lipstick. When she opened her eyes again, he was standing directly in front of her.


	5. Unspoken words

To her own surprise she wasn't startled when she suddenly saw him standing there. She hadn't recognized when exactly the vacuum-cleaner had been turned off but now it was leaning against the wall and Niles stood there, his face unreadable.

The seconds passed and none of them spoke. Niles started to raise an eyebrow. Apparently, he expected her to speak first. Which was understandable, given how she had just left him standing in the entrance hall after the kiss without any comment. Unfortunately, she had no idea what to say.

The seconds kept passing. And eventually, Niles just turned around and left.


	6. A phone call

She stood there for another moment, before finally coming to her senses and leaving. Maxwell might have suggested to go to the spa, but she only felt like going home, crawling into her bed and thinking about what happened today. Maybe with a good Whiskey.

When she got home, however, her phone started to ring. She sighed. "Hello, C.C. Babcock here." When she heared who was on the other end of the line she wished she wouldn't have answered the call.

"Hello mother. What is it?"

"Listen. I'm calling you because Mrs. Whitworth told me about this Celvin-guy you've been dating."

"How does she- never mind. His name is Collin. What's wrong with him?"

"What's wrong with him you ask? Isn't that fairly obvious? C.C., how often have I told you this – a Babcock does never marry, or in this case date, under her status."

"Look, not that it mattered, because we broke up today anyway, but what exactly is the problem? He's easily just as rich as I am."

"Yes, but haven't you heared _how_ he got his money? He won in the lottery and made some moderately profitable investments. A year ago he's practically been a streetrat. None of his fortune was his own achievement."

"Heavens, mother, is _any_ man in New York City good enough for you?!"

"But of course, darling. Just not some lumpy guy from the… working class. A Babcock never gets just second-best. But why do you bother anyway? I thought you said you broke up with him?"

"I did, but-"

"Well, that was all. Kisses. Bye."

Before C.C. had any chance to reply her mother had already hang up.


	7. Worth the risk?

She shook her head and sat down on the sofa. And immediately her thoughts wandered back to Niles. Her heart still skipped a beat thinking about the kiss. _Well, I guess you were right._ His words echoed through her head. There was no denying that the same thing could be said for her. Even Collin had sensed that her heart was already taken. Their date had ended in some kisses that were, at least on her part, completely unfelt. Collin had said goodbye, disappointment hearable in his voice, and had called her the next morning, breaking up. Because, as he said, her mind had been elsewhere and he knew better then to fight when he didn't have a chance.

None the less, she couldn't simply start dating the butler. Her mother would kill her. After her phone call, that much was obvious. For heavens sake, she wouldn't even have accepted Collin, just because he hadn't been rich for quiet as long as they had been.

But did it really matter that much? Wouldn't her mother always find a reason why the men her daughter choose were not good enough? She always had in the past. Even with Maxwell, now that she thought about it.

However, dating Niles would not only risk her relationship with her mother. Sure, C.C. had more than enough money herself to last for a life time, even if she quit right now and never worked again. But in one point her mother was right – she'd lose her social esteem the second her relationship with the butler would go public. Which would mean in addition that she'd loose all acquaintances she knew.

Was Niles worth that?


	8. Trouble sleeping

He laid in his bed, unable to find sleep. He knew he should rest, given that he'd have to stand up in time to prepare breakfast for the family, just as always. But the events of the day kept rushing through his brain.

What had he been thinking? Kissing her? Admitting his feelings? His eyes fell on the flowers that he had intended to give her and were now standing in a vase on his cupboard. Maybe he should have just given them to her. Or pretended they were for someone else entirely. Not shown his true feelings at all. What would he have lost? She had broken up with Collin at that point anyway.

No, wrong, _he_ had broken up with _her_. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe she would have wanted more. Niles still thought that Collin was an idiot for giving up on Ms. Babcock but he had not even thought about the possibility that she might be really sad that he ended the relationship. _What a selfish asshole I am._

He forced himself to close his eyes. This would not make anything better. Hopefully he'd fall asleep soon.


	9. I have a crush on you

About half an hour later he heared a soft knock. Before he had any chance to answer it though, his door was already opened and someone slipped inside, closing the door again quickly. As he sat up he switched on the lamp on his nightstand. He quickly recognized the intruder and sighed. "What do you want? It's the middle of the night, for heavens sake."

"I'm sorry, but apparently you've not been asleep yet anyway. It's just, I needed to talk to you. Before I could change my mind." Something about her words, about this whole situation, suddenly frustrated him. "What could you possibly want to talk about, that you couldn't say a few hours ago when you had the chance?" But then his anger vanished, as promptly as it had come, and he sighed. "Alright, just go ahead Babs. Maybe then I can get some sleep tonight."

She inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry I teased you earlier this evening. And I'm sorry I just left you standing there after that kiss. And then again in the living room. I'm really sorry." "And this was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" "I wasn't finished yet" she said, trying not to show her frustration about being interrupted. This was really not easy for her and his interruptions and general reluctance regarding the whole conversation didn't really help either.

He looked at her expectantly. She took another deep breath. "Look, Niles, I thought about what happened today. _A lot_. And, if I remember correctly, you, uhm… _implied_ that you had a crush on me." It sounded more like a question and she paused to see if he'd confirm her statement, but he just kept looking at her, his face unchanged. As she kept speaking her voice became smaller and smaller. "And I guess… well, what I want to say is… the same thing applies to me. I have a crush on you."


	10. Changing her mind

She hated how stupid and teenager-like the words sounded, but it was the best that her mind had come up with. Truth be told, this was a bit under-selling her feelings (whom was she kidding, actually _a lot_) but she didn't want to scare him away with her words. And she didn't want to say to much, in case he wouldn't return her feelings. In case he hated her after what had happened that day. Or in case it was all a big prank.

But she wasn't prepared for his reaction at all. He just looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. For a few moments noone said anything and she was already starting to get nervous, when he finally spoke. "You said you were afraid you'd change your mind again. About what? About having a crush on me? On a mere servant? Or about better pursuing Collin again, because he is so much more suitable? Or Mr. Sheffield?" His words grew louder and louder, but she recognized that he still tried to be quiet enough as not to wake anyone else in the house. She shook her head.

"Niles", she tried to sound as soothing as possible so he'd calm down again. "Niles, I don't care about Collin. Or Maxwell. I only care about you. When I said I'd be afraid to change my mind again, what I meant was… what I meant was my mother. Try to understand me. If I'm with you she'd never speak to me again. Not she, not the rest of my family and not anyone else from my… social circle." "So it _is_ about me being a butler." He looked at her with cold eyes.

She sighed. "Would you just listen? Yes, your job is… _was_ an issue. But not for me. For them. My main issue was that I'd had to choose between you and them. I thought about it all evening. It didn't take very long to subtract my so-called 'friends' from the equation, because spending time with them is more of a burden than a pleasure. But my family? That choice was harder, especially because of my father and Noel. But I had a phone call last evening from my mother that really opened my eyes. They're never gonna be happy with any man I'd choose. As long as they don't have anything to say in the matter they will always be disappointed and mad with me. So I basically had the choice between being miserable forever, but with their approval, or being happy but likely never speaking a word with them again. That realization made the choice a lot easier."


	11. Lady in red

"That is, if you still want me" she said after a few moments of silence. She could not look him in the eyes. During their conversation he had not been very affectionate and she feared that she had made a complete fool of herself. That she'd come here for nothing and he didn't want her anymore.

That's why she was even more surprised now that he reached out for her tenderly. He softly raised her chin so she'd look into his eyes, which were now full of love. He slowly leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers softly but firmly. When they parted again, his voice was nothing but a whisper.

"How could I not? You are the most clever, sophisticated, powerful and beautiful woman I have ever met. You have literally just chosen me over your own family. I love you." Her heart warmed at his words. "I love you too, Niles." A smile spread across his whole face. Then his eyes started to wander appreciatingly over her body. "And you look increadibly sexy in that red suit of yours. Although I can't help but wonder how much better you'd look without it…" "Wanna find out?" "Definitely." He wrapped his arms around her, his hands searching for the zipper that would have to be on the back of the red jumpsuit, while he started to kiss a trail down her neck. She moaned softly and a thought came to her. "Well, I guess now you won't get your much wanted sleep tonight…"


End file.
